Extension device



Oct. 14, 1930. E. F. M. SPEIDEL ET AL 1,778,044

EXTENS l QN DEVICE Filed Dec. 7. 1927 U/nmemiow Edna}: m ez'ael- Kw/ f/flyelsfer'xk BY fl w/M ATTORNEYS;

Patented Oct. 14, 1930' 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN F. SPEIDEL EDGEWOOD, A 1\TD KARL C. AUGENSTEIN, F CRANsTON, RHODE ISLAND; SAID-AUGENSTEIN AS SIGNOB TO SAID SPEIDEL EXTENSION DEVICE Application filed December 7, 1927. Serial No. 238,405.

This invention relates to an improved construction of watch bracelet or strap having extendible members at. its opposite ends through which these ends are connected ;to opposite sides of a wrist watch; and,

the object of this invention is to provide such an extendible member or device for a wrist watch strap having a plurality 'ofpartspivotally connected to swing to an end-to-end position and back to be folded one upon the other oneof the parts of the strap having a watch bail engaging loop or member and also having an integral resilient detent lip for releasably retaining the parts in folded position. i

A further object of the invention is the forming of one of these folded parts of the extendible device with side flanges pierced at intervals along its length and having a cross bar plate to which the. opposite end of a watch strap is attached this plate having trunnions to engage the different piercings in the flanges, the platebeing shaped to permit an endways movement of the bar when in one position and being of a length to fit closely between the side flanges to lock the trunnions against release when swung down to working position, whereby when this bar plate is swung outwardly it may be removed and repositioned in the desired holes along the length of the member to regulate the working 'lengthof the watch strap With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. I I In the accompanying drawings: Fig;1 is a front view showing our improved watch strap as being provided with extend- "ible members which are attached'toopposite sides ofa watch. i

Fig. 2 shows one of the extendible members 5 in extended position. I j p Fig. 3 shows the under side of this extendible member. v

4 is a perspective view showing one of the outer endmembers as formed in channel shape.

Fig. 5 shows the intermediate foldable member.

Fig. 6 shows the inner end member having aloop formed at one end to engage the hail of a watch and showing the retaining spring lip.

-Fig. 7 is a sectional edge view showing all of the members in folded position.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view showing the members as folded one upon the other with the intermediate member in position to be snapped beneath the retaining finger on the loop of the inner end member.

Fig. 9 shows the cross bar plate as being 01 a length to swing down between the side flanges of the outer end member to look its trunnions against being removed from the flange piercings.

Fig. 10 shows the cross bar plate as swung up and one end as being tipped up to remove the trunnions from the piercings in the side flanges of the outer member.

Fig. 11 is an edge view'of the bar plate in the position illustrated in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is an end view partly broken away showing the bar plate as fitting into the loop or eye in the end of the strap.

Fig. 13 is a sectional end view showing all of the members when folded as being retained between the side flanges of the outer end member. 7

F ig; 14 is a view illustrating the two oxtendible devices as attached to the end of a watch strap to temporarily enlarge the strap to be passed over the hand of the wearer.

Fig. 15 is a modification showing the extremity of the inner end member as rolled to form awatch bail engaging a hook. and the body of the member as being slotted to provide a spring tongue for closing the hook.

Itis found in the practical construction of watch straps particularly those worn by men, of advantage to provide extendible mem bers on opposite ends of the strap thru which the strap is connected to opposite sides of the wrist watch, whereby by unfolding these extendible members the length of the strap may be temporarily extended sufliciently to pass over the usually large hand of the man wearing the Watch andthat without disconresilient fingeror other retaining member for engaging one of the other folding parts to retain the whole device in foldedposition.v

Also it is found of advantage to provide simple and effective means for adjusting the 7 working length of the strap and this we have to be snapped beneath the same into the accomplished by providing pierced side flanges on the outer end member and in these piercings we have adgustably mounted a bar in the end of the strap, the bar platebeing arranged and so constructed that when turned up at right angles to the plane of its member this bar may he slid endwise to remove its trunnions and ire-position them in any of the piercings along the length of thee flanges, and when turned down into working position this bar is locked against removal; and the following is a detaileddescription of the present eniibcdiment of our invention and showing one means by which th edvantageous results maybe accomplished With reference to the drawings,15 designates the inner end member of the extendible device which is herein shown as being formed of sheet stock with one end rolled to form an eye or loop portion 16 for engaging the bail 17 of awrist watch 18. This loop portion is preferably slotted as at 19 forming a resilient finger 20 which extends outwardly beyond the periphery'of the loop, as best illustrated in Fig. 8, and into position to permit the upturned end 21 of the intermediate member 22 posi tion best illustrated in Fig. 7.

The opposite end of this inner ,end member is provided with a pair of upwardly e i ing pivot cars 23; the intermediate member 29 is also preferably formed of a thin. sheet stock and has a pair of pivots 24 formed at one on d to engage the cars 23 of the member 15. The upturned end 21 of this intermediate member is also provided with pivot extensions 25' to engage the end piercings 26 in the flanges 27 of the outer end plate 28. 7

By this construction, it will beseen that the'intermediate member 2 may be folded uponthe member 15 and the outer member 28 may be folded over the whole and the two plates 15 and 22 will lie between the side flanges 27 ofthe outer plate.

It is foundin practice oi advantage to be able to adjust the working length of the'strap so as to *fit the wrists of different users and in /aces toeffect this in a simple and eflective way, we have provided piercings 29 along the length of the side flanges 27 and we have provide'd a cross bar 30 constructed in the form of a plate having a broad surface 31 to fit into the eye 32 of the strap 33 and so prevent the same from rotating in this strapeye or loop. This bar plate is formed with laterally ex tending trunnions 34 and 35, the trunnion 341- being of a length greater than trunnion 35. This plate is of a length so that when turnedgdown into the channel between the side flanges it will fit closely therein and so prevent lateral; movement thereof andthis plate is cut away as at 36 cac e of its ends adjacent the trunnion that when swui'ig. up on its pivots into the position illustrated in Fig. 10 this bar plate may slide endwise sufiiciei'itly to remove the shorter trunnion from its piercings and then by tipping this late ada ted to extend thru the loo or e e P J end up the whole may be withdrawn and set into any of the other piercings to either lengthen or shorten the operating length of the strap. After the bar has been so positioned, it maybe swung back between the flanges whereit is normally held by the tension of the strap to securely lock the same against being accidentally removed.

Our improved watch strap having an-eX;

tendible device at either end through which i U the strap is attached toopposite sides'of a watch permits the strap tobe readily en larged temporarily so as to permit it to be freely passed over the hand of the wearer and by means of the cross bar plate in one of the members of each extendible device the operating length of the strap may also be readily adjusted to nicely lit the wrists of the different wearers.

The foragoing p ion is directedso-lly i towards the construction illustrated, but we desire it to be understood that we reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to'whic'h the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims. I

We claim:

1. An extension device for a wrist encircling strap comprising a plurality of sections hinged together and toldable one on another, one of said sections being formed into an eye at its end for attachment to the lug of a wrist watch, said eye being slit and a portion adjacent said slit bent to form re silent catch to hold said sections in folded po sition. i r

2. An extension device-J tor a wrist encircling strap comprising apair of end sections, means for attaching a wrist strap to one end section, said other endfsection being out sheet metal plate form with one end folded to receive a portion of a wrist watch, and an intermediate section hingedly secured. at its ends to said end sections whereby the sections may be folded one upon the 0the'r,'said folded portions being slit and a portion deflected at said slit to form a resilient catch 7 to hold S a-idsections in folded position.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures.

EDWIN F. M. SPEID'EL." KARL 0.. AUG'ENSTEIN. 

